If you do not read this user agreement carefully -it is specific to our forum- there is an excellent chance your registration will not be processed or will be deleted.

The Fashion-Incubator forum is a private membership organization, providing mentoring, advice, camaraderie, resources and referrals to people who either want to start a clothing line, already have one or even, selected consumers who advise us. It is the largest, most robust and popular forum in the apparel industry.

Confidentiality: All information shared in the forums is held in the strictest confidence. You may not disseminate any information or resources found here in a public or private place no matter the medium, there are NO conditions under which you are permitted to share the information with non-members. As a condition of membership, you agree to maintain these confidences. Those who fail to maintain confidences are subject to suspension or expulsion.

Membership Criteria: Membership is open to those who have purchased a new copy of The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing which dramatically reduces the kinds of questions that new entrants post. This way the forums are not cluttered with the same questions posted over and over. If you feel you should not be held to this standard, you are free to appeal by emailing me. Service providers may not need the book but they will find the book to be very useful in working with new designers. Many service providers will not accept clients who have not read it because it saves them lots of money and time. This text is the most highly rated book in the garment industry.

How to join: More information is here.1. Buy a copy of the book.2. Read this agreement completely.3. Register.

After registration, the system will send you an automatic response. This does not mean you can now log in. Please read the response which includes further instructions to validate your membership. If you do not respond within two days, your account will be deleted so please re-register if you cannot respond in that time frame. If you have not purchased the book and decline to buy it, I sincerely wish you well and continued success in your venture.

I realize some may be unhappy at the requirement but every trade organization charges a membership fee to keep itself going. Most charge hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Fashion-Incubator is the least expensive garment industry organization there is (the first year is free with proof of purchase, renewals are $45 annually). There are free forums too, so those may be an option if you are not ready to invest in a community. Unfortunately, you will rarely find adept working professionals in public forums. With limited time, they are looking for people on their same level or higher to help them solve problems -just like you are.

Usernames: The forum is private but not anonymous; being private, it does not need to be anonymous. As of November 15, 2008, the protocol for user names is firstname space lastname. If you have created a username that does not conform to this policy, your account may be deleted. More information is here.

Enthusiasts and non-business members: I am personally gratified and tremendously complimented when non-business members join us. You enjoy a privileged position in our forum, you are literally a VIP. Ostensibly, you are our customer and unfortunately, we sometimes need you to remind us of that. While we fervently hope you will contribute to our business threads with questions and comments, you are still a full-fledged member entitled to resolution of your own problems. Do not hesitate to post accordingly.

best wishes
Kathleen505-877-1713

*Purchase of a new book is required. Buying a used copy from another party doesn't transfer any financial support to the site. There are exceptions to this rule but contact me before purchasing a used copy.

The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing ($60) is available from the right side of the page on Fashion-Incubator as well as at Amazon.com. You can also pay with a credit card by phone. Call me at 505-877-1713 MST. You can read sample chapters free at the Table of Contents.

Legal stuff: Like any forum, membership conditions are subject to change without notice. You agree to grant Fashion-Incubator a non-exclusive license to any content you post in these forums. Legally, your content cannot be displayed without your permission. Without it, I also cannot enforce confidentiality restrictions or prevent others from using your content.